583 Striped Marlin Released in 2023 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament
October 19, 2023 – WINTER PARK, FL – The 25th-anniversary running of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament showcased a historic striped marlin bite. Over three exhilarating days, the tournament record for billfish releases was shattered as 42 teams released a staggering total of 583 striped marlin, seven blue marlin, and three sailfish. This number nearly quadrupled the previous tournament release record of 150 in 2018.
The record-setting performance came as developing Hurricane Norma took aim at the Los Cabos region, despite permitting challenges that threatened to disrupt the scheduled kickoff of the tournament. However, thanks to an upwelling of local support in the weeks prior to kickoff, and to the resilience of the Los Cabos fishing teams, the tournament went off without a hitch and delivered an epic bite that served as a strong reminder of why the Los Cabos region remains one of the world’s premier billfish destinations.
The team fishing aboard The Daddy Rabbit, a 58-foot Viking from the Channel Islands, California, emerged victorious as the 2023 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament champions. Under the skilled leadership of owner-angler Dennis Hood and Capt. Angel Agundez Sandez, the formidable team—consisting of Adrian Covarrubias, Guillermo Gonzalez, Ezequiel Orias, and Ramon Sandez Agundez—exhibited exceptional angling prowess by releasing a remarkable total of 140 striped marlin. Their outstanding performance not only secured them the champion’s trophy and the top captain trophy, but it also earned them a substantial prize of $86,550. Additionally, their triumph came with the honor of an invitation to compete in the 2024 Offshore World Championship.
Second place went to the team fishing on Let’s Go, who released an impressive total of 130 striped marlin aboard their 42-foot Freeman. Colin Sutton, Patrick Morey, TJ Jaworsky, Troy Mathers, Capt. Alan Araiza Flores, and Capt. Alan Eduardo Araiza Castro worked the electric bite on their center-console in a steady rotation—hookup, leader, release, and the next angler is already hooked up ready for the next leader touch. Let’s Go took home the second-place trophy and a combined check for $74,430.
Home-ported in Cabo San Lucas, the team on Meshuga Fish secured third-place honors fishing aboard their 68-foot Viking. Led by Capt. Jeffrey Stolarz, the team of Steve Hilton, Scott Ward, Scott Curtis, CP Drewett, Ryan VanderKooy, Lawrence Joseph Aliseo III, and Hunter Barrett released 110 striped marlin and one blue marlin to take home the third-place trophy and a combined check for $57,120.
Gamefish kept the IGY marina weigh station busy with Bill Collector, Feeling Azul, The Magnetic, Cloud 9, Game On, Riverbottom Nightmare Band, Sauced Bosses, and Overtime all collecting payouts in the tuna, dolphin, and wahoo categories.
However, with no qualifying blue or black marlin weighed, six jackpot categories of the $754,945 purse went unclaimed and teams were refunded accordingly. Total payout this year was $290,550 for billfish-release and gamefish categories. Teams also raised more than $4,000 for the Solmar Foundation, a nonprofit organization that lends a helping hand to the members of the local Mexican community who need it most.
The awards dinner took place at the Playa Grande Resort’s beachfront terrace, where participants were treated to a full mariachi band and a four-course filet mignon and lobster dinner.
The 2023 edition of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, owned by Los Cabos Tourism and operated by the publisher of Marlin magazine since its inception 25 years ago, proved to be a test of wills, but it was also a celebration of the enduring spirit of competitive sport fishing. The teams who competed this year kept pace with a hookup frequency previously unheard of, keeping the radio committee vigilant and the final results in question until each and every billfish release was verified by an exhausted video-review team.
This year’s running also represented a refresh of sorts, with tournament director Jen Dudas taking the reins and receiving strong local support from Charo Bulnes of Solmar Hotels and Resorts, tournament facilitator Clicerio Mercado, the Los Cabos Hotel Association, Los Cabos Tourism, and Darren Carey of IGY Marina.
With a renewal of the long-term agreement between Marlin and Los Cabos Tourism in place and permits already secured, planning is well underway for next year’s running of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, scheduled for October 8-12, 2024. Be a part of what is sure to be the biggest fleet and payout to date by registering early at loscabostournaments.com.
About Bonnier
Bonnier is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for offshore fishing, motorsports and hunting. Bonnier operates the world’s premier offshore fishing magazine, Marlin, and its series of big-game fishing tournaments and expeditions across the US and in Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia and the Virgin Islands. In its Motorsports & Outdoor division, Bonnier operates a series of nationwide motorsports and hunting events, including the Sands Sports Super Show, Off-Road Expo and Open Season Sportsman’s Expo. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing.
- Published in Events
Marlin University Relaunches as Marlin Expeditions
January 12, 2023 — WINTER PARK, FL — Marlin University, which hosts a series of all-inclusive and fully curated immersive fishing trips around the world, has relaunched as Marlin Expeditions, kicking off a new era of experiences and exploration.
Since 2002, Marlin University has been taking anglers to some of the world’s top billfishing destinations. As the program heads into its 21st season, it’s announcing a new name, a new website, and an ever-expanding list of expeditions for 2023.
“We’re rebranding to showcase this franchise’s primary calling card: adventure,” said Sam White, editor-in-chief of Marlin magazine. “While we will retain the program’s concept of providing professional instruction aboard top boats in the finest destinations, our attendees tell us that what they value most is the opportunity to share adventures with like-minded anglers. Those experiences happen on the high seas and not in a classroom.”
The reboot of Marlin Expeditions is the first of several expansions of the Bonnier Expeditions franchise planned for this year.
“Given Bonnier’s portfolio, and its deep connections with passionate anglers, hunters, boaters, sailors and motorsports enthusiasts, we have come to recognize that there is a significant appetite for highly curated, peer-to-peer skill-development programs,” said David Ritchie, Bonnier CEO. “Our consumers have an insatiable desire to learn and to experience, and to do so within an environment of luxury and full-service. Those have always been Marlin University’s hallmarks, so we’re excited to use that platform as our base of a new suite of Expedition offerings.”
This year’s Marlin Expeditions calendar is filled with both past favorites and new adventures. New for 2023 are Cape Verde, where anglers will be fishing the waters off western Africa during peak Atlantic blue marlin season, and the Dominican Republic, fishing for white marlin out of Cap Cana, one of the top destinations in the Caribbean. Due to popular demand, Marlin Expeditions is offering two trips to Los Sueños Resort and Marina in Costa Rica to chase billfish aboard the famous Maverick “Fly” boats. The program is also returning to Guatemala’s Casa Vieja Lodge, including a Ladies Only trip, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to hunt for giant black marlin. More dates and locations will be added throughout 2023.
Marlin Expeditions is part of Bonnier LLC’s outdoor media and events portfolio, which includes Marlin, Salt Water Sportsman, Boating, Yachting, Offshore World Championship, Bermuda Triple Crown, Scrub Island Invitational, Los Cabos Billfish Tournament and SFTV.
For more information about Marlin Expeditions, visit marlinexpeditions.com, and follow @marlinexpeditions on Facebook and Instagram.
About Bonnier:
Bonnier LLC is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. Bonnier has the nation’s leading portfolio of experiential events and iconic media brands in the marine category and an extensive series of nationwide motorsports and hunting events. Bonnier publishes Salt Water Sportsman, Marlin, Sport Fishing, Boating, Yachting, Cruising World, and Sailing World; produces award-winning SFTV television programming; and hosts world-class fishing tournaments, sailing regattas, and educational events across the US and in Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia, and the Virgin Islands. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing.
Marlin Celebrates 40th Anniversary
In April 1982, the inaugural issue of Marlin was published, dedicated to the idea of “establishing in the eyes of the world that billfishing is the greatest sport in the world today.” Four decades later, the “magazine for the billfisherman” is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Marlin was launched in the spring of 1982 by Bill McLellan and Lee Stevens. The publication aimed to be a prestigious voice within the global offshore fishing community. By any measure, it has achieved that status. Today, Marlin is part of Bonnier Corp’s extensive fishing media and event portfolio which includes Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Offshore World, Salt Water Sportsman Seminar Series, Offshore World Championship, Bermuda Triple Crown, Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, and Scrub Island Invitational. Forty years later, Marlin continues to provide the same high-quality content that offshore fishing enthusiasts have come to expect.
While it began as a quarterly, Marlin is now published seven times per year. It also has an educational component, Marlin University, an immersive, on-the-water classroom where world-class anglers teach the most exciting and cutting-edge techniques to catch billfish.
The brand will celebrate its anniversary throughout 2022, including a feature story about the magazine’s history in the February issue.
“I’m proud to continue the legacy of this brand with such a great history as we head into 2022 and beyond,” says editor-in-chief Sam White.
The magazine is not the only notable anniversary that Marlin is commemorating. Publisher Natasha Lloyd recently celebrated her 25th year with the brand.
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